10 



THE OOLOGIST. 



iug these two pleasures, Ave have a 

 .sum, total of happiness and health. 



I had beeft an earnest student of 

 birds for a number of years, when I 

 became the owner of a bicycle. Then 

 my next study was to learn how I 

 could best work my wheel in with my 

 ornithological studies; and it was not 

 so A^fery difficult a problem. 



How often has it been the experience 

 of the collector, that he has hastened at 

 early morning, to some distant woods 

 or glen, which he knows to be rich in 

 oological treasures and reaches there 

 only to see by his watch, that so much 

 time has been consumed on the way 

 that he has but a few moments here be- 

 fore he must hasten back, and so is 

 obliged to return disappointed. With 

 the bicycle tlus is overcome to a goodly 

 degree. 



One of my favorite spring-time ram- 

 bles is to mount my wheel at 4 or 4:80 

 a. m., with rubber boots on, (imagine a 

 bicyclist in rubber boots,) and with my 

 collecting box strapped to the bundle 

 carrier, and ride out into the country 

 some three miles to a certain swamp; 

 here I lock my wheel to the fence and 

 have whole hours to myself and the 

 birds before I need worry about getting 

 home to breakfast. 



I imagine the readers of theOoLOGiST 

 would be somewhat amused if they 

 were to see me riding into town in the 

 morning, just as the pleasant odors of 

 breakfast begin to stir themselves, ar- 

 rayed in old clothes and rubber boots, 

 with perhaps a bird's nest or two, tied 

 to my wheel; when I do reach the 

 breakfast table, it is with no invalid's 

 appetite I assure you. And after break- 

 fast when everyone is hurrying to their 

 business, I doubt if there is anyone 

 among them who feels any more like a 

 day's work than I, myself. 



It was my pleasure during the past 

 summer, (1889,) to take an overland 

 bicycle tour through Orleans, Genesee, 

 Wyoming, Cattaraugus, and Chautau- 



qua counties to Chautauqua Lake, re- 

 turning along Lake Erie by the way of 

 Buffalo; and during the trip my orni- 

 thological note-book was in the hand- 

 iest corner of my handiest pocket, and 

 was used even oftener than my oil can. 



I kept a careful record of all the 

 birds I saw, and consideral)ly enlarged 

 my ornith(jlogical knowledge, although 

 ornithology was by no means the object 

 of my trip. 



One afternoon in particular, I shall 

 not soon forget, I was riding along the 

 road between Sandusky and Franklin- 

 ville, in Cattaraugus Co., heated and 

 dusty, when, turning a bend in the 

 road, I reached a miniature Rip Van 

 Winkle glen, where the road ran along 

 side of a woods. Dismounting, I seat- 

 ed myself on a hummock of earth in 

 the cool shelter of the grove, and soon 

 found that the birds, as well as myself, 

 were aware of the beauty of the place, 

 for the grove was full of bird music. 

 Here were Thrushes, Tanagers, War- 

 blers, and many strangers. Indeed I 

 could have spent the rest oi the day 

 there if I were not so far from a night's 

 lodging; but that little grove of birds I 

 shall not forget. 



Now in conclusion, as a proof of the 

 value of a wheel to the ornithologist, I 

 can point to many a valuable set of 

 eggs and many a curiously constructed 

 and pretty nest now in my collection 

 which would not be there had it not 

 been for my faithful steed of steel and 

 nickel. 



To be sure his backbone is somewhat 

 curved and his ribs show decidedly, but 

 notwithstanding this, for his assistance 

 to me in my ornithological studies; I 

 would not part with him for twice his 

 weight in dollars. 



Neil F. Posson, 

 Medina, N. Y. 



The Audubon Ornithological Club. 



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